Carrier tapes are a well known means for storing components for transport of the components from a component manufacturer to a different manufacturer that assembles the components into a new product. The components may be any of a wide variety of components. Such carrier tapes typically comprise an elongated strip portion having a plurality of longitudinally aligned pockets each of which receives a respective component, with a tape portion sealingly engaged to the strip portion and extending over the pockets to maintain the components within their respective pockets.
In a typical production operation, the components may be, for instance, metallic shields for utilization on a circuit board for shielding one or more electronic components. Such components are formed in one or more machines which utilize machining lubricants and oils in the forming process. After a plurality of such components are formed, they are accumulated in a washing bin and batch washed together to remove the machining lubricants. After being batch washed, the components are batch dried and then loaded into a vibratory bowl for separating the cleaned components into a single row for loading the cleaned components seriatim into respective pockets of the carrier tape. A pinhole is provided in the bottom of each pocket through which an optical scanner passes to confirm the presence of the component in the pocket. Only upon such optical confirmation is the carrier tape then advanced. Thereafter, a tape portion is sealingly engaged to the strip portion, extending over the pocket openings, to secure the components in their respective pockets, and the carrier tape is then wound onto a reel.
There are several shortcomings associated with this current production method, a particular one of which is the requirement for off-line batch washing of the components following machining operations and prior to loading the components into the pockets of the tape portion. In addition to the man-hours required to be expended in the batch washing operations and the capital costs required to be expended in purchasing, maintaining and utilizing a vibratory bowl separator, the batch washing and vibratory bowl separating operations impose a significant limitation in the production rate.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved way to get the components having machining oil thereon loaded into respective carrier strip pockets and free from the machining oil, which does not require batch washing or vibratory bowl separators, and which allows for significantly increased production rates as compared to currently employed methods.